Advocate file photo by BRAD BOWIE -- Sterling Green, then 9, sits with his grandmother, Iyadiya Gaidi, while awaiting the start of music at Festival International de Louisiane in downtown Lafayette last year.

Advocate staff photo by BRAD BOWIE -- Jade Chambers, 5, has her face painted by Liz Lopes on Friday afternoon during Festival International de Louisiane 2014 in downtown Lafayette.

Advocate file photo by BRAD BOWIE -- Martea Aultman and Enrique Valencia dance to the music at a past Festival International. Downtown Lafayette will once again host the event, which runs through Sunday.

Advocate staff photo by BRAD BOWIE -- Lead vocalist for the band La Santa Cecilia, La Marisoul, and accordian player Jose Carlos perform on the Scene Stabil Drill International stage during Festival International de Louisiane 2014 in downtown Lafayette on Friday evening.

Advocate staff photo by BRAD BOWIE -- Accordian player for the band La Santa Cecilia, Jose Carlos, performs on the Scene Stabil Drill International stage during Festival International de Louisiane 2014 in downtown Lafayette on Friday evening.

Advocate staff photo by BRAD BOWIE -- Corey Mallery and Brittany Cernek dance during a "Parc Jam" held on Friday afternoon in Parc De Lafayette during Festival International de Louisiane in downtown Lafayette.

Advocate staff photo by BRAD BOWIE -- Aimee Moss Kolstead admires a piece of jewelry at one of the vendor tents set up along Vermilion Street in downtown Lafayette on during Festival International de Louisiane on Friday.

Advocate staff photo by BRAD BOWIE -- Lead vocalist for the band La Santa Cecilia, La Marisoul, performs on the Scene Stabil Drill International stage during Festival International de Louisiane 2014 in downtown Lafayette on Friday evening.

Advocate staff photo by BRAD BOWIE -- Johanna Devine performs on the Scene Chevron Heritage stage during the Friday afternoon of Festival International de Louisiane 2014 in downtown Lafayette.

Lafayette downtown packed for Festival International

Advocate file photo by BRAD BOWIE -- Sterling Green, then 9, sits with his grandmother, Iyadiya Gaidi, while awaiting the start of music at Festival International de Louisiane in downtown Lafayette last year.

Advocate staff photo by BRAD BOWIE -- Jade Chambers, 5, has her face painted by Liz Lopes on Friday afternoon during Festival International de Louisiane 2014 in downtown Lafayette.

Advocate file photo by BRAD BOWIE -- Martea Aultman and Enrique Valencia dance to the music at a past Festival International. Downtown Lafayette will once again host the event, which runs through Sunday.

Advocate staff photo by BRAD BOWIE -- Lead vocalist for the band La Santa Cecilia, La Marisoul, and accordian player Jose Carlos perform on the Scene Stabil Drill International stage during Festival International de Louisiane 2014 in downtown Lafayette on Friday evening.

Advocate staff photo by BRAD BOWIE -- Accordian player for the band La Santa Cecilia, Jose Carlos, performs on the Scene Stabil Drill International stage during Festival International de Louisiane 2014 in downtown Lafayette on Friday evening.

Advocate staff photo by BRAD BOWIE -- Corey Mallery and Brittany Cernek dance during a "Parc Jam" held on Friday afternoon in Parc De Lafayette during Festival International de Louisiane in downtown Lafayette.

Advocate staff photo by BRAD BOWIE -- Aimee Moss Kolstead admires a piece of jewelry at one of the vendor tents set up along Vermilion Street in downtown Lafayette on during Festival International de Louisiane on Friday.

Advocate staff photo by BRAD BOWIE -- Lead vocalist for the band La Santa Cecilia, La Marisoul, performs on the Scene Stabil Drill International stage during Festival International de Louisiane 2014 in downtown Lafayette on Friday evening.

Advocate staff photo by BRAD BOWIE -- Johanna Devine performs on the Scene Chevron Heritage stage during the Friday afternoon of Festival International de Louisiane 2014 in downtown Lafayette.

LAFAYETTE — Lafayette’s historic downtown area is transformed this weekend for Festival International de Louisiane.

Thousands of people, such as JeriKay Nelson, packed downtown Friday night for the festivities. Nelson, an Iota native, has been attending the festival long before her 6-year-old daughter Seraphim came into the fold.

“She’s been to every festival since she was 3 months old,” Nelson said. “She’ll keep coming every year. You can’t get more family friendly than this.”

Nelson, a University of Louisiana at Lafayette alumna, said the combination of free admission and music from around the world is “pretty unbeatable.”

“The music from around the world is priceless,” she said.

“There are so many volunteers around to help it run smoothly. The entire downtown area takes part in making it special.”

More than 400 musicians will perform for an estimated 400,000 people throughout the five-day event — an annual fixture in Lafayette since 1986.

Friday night’s headliners were the Pine Leaf Boys, from south Louisiana, and Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars, from the West African nation.

The festival runs through Sunday.

“It’s is really amazing to have music like this in Lafayette,” Nelson said. “Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars are world famous. It is such a treasure to come and experience this.”

Vendors in the Pavilion de Cuisine, such as Bon Creole and Antlers, serve dishes such as pulled pork nachos, sausage jambalaya, crawfish spinach and cheese bread bowls.

Festivalgoers can enjoy craft beer and mixed drinks by purchasing tickets from one of the more than 2,000 festival volunteers.

Businesses downtown, such as Marley’s, also open their doors to festivalgoers who desire a break from outdoors. Kevin Duhon, a senior at UL-Lafayette, said the festival is a welcomed addition to his normal weekend routine.

“I’d probably come to Marley’s anyway tonight,” Duhon said. “Festival just brings in bigger crowds and more fun. I love downtown, and I love Festival.”

Aside from the food and music, arts and crafts from around the world are available for purchase. There is also a newly added free Wi-Fi hot spot provided by LUS Fiber and TV5MONDE where festivalgoers can stay connected.

Nelson said she doesn’t see herself getting tired of Festival anytime soon.

“It seems to get better every year,” she said. “I am already looking forward to next year.”